The Man Who Was Thursday · Character

Sunday

The vast, absentminded president of the Central Anarchist Council, whose face is too large to focus and whose laughter is a lonely, terrible thing.

major

Also known as President Sunday, old Sunday

First appearance: The Secret of Gabriel Syme

As a major figure in The Man Who Was Thursday, Sunday is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as the President of the Central Anarchist Council who advised Gregory to dress as an anarchist.

In the storyThe Secret of Gabriel SymeOpen this moment free

Sunday presides over the anarchist council with an unsettling combination of abstraction and cruelty, his great bright eyes sometimes going quite blind. His physical enormity and dreamy menace make him less a man than a force—one councillor compares him to an absentminded tiger. He is the mystery at the heart of the council, the figure whose true identity and purpose drive the detectives' investigation.

See Sunday in The Secret of Gabriel Syme Book page

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Character Web

9 connections

A slice of how Sunday sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological

Character groups

Central Anarchist Council detectives
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the Professor’s psychological breaking point: beneat…

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Relationships

Gabriel Syme
psychological · ambivalent
Sunday is a mysterious and manipulative figure who orchestrates the entire plot, leaving… How this plays out →
The Secretary
psychological · ambivalent
Gogol
psychological · ambivalent
Dr. Bull
psychological · ambivalent
Professor de Worms
psychological · ambivalent
Gabriel Syme
psychological · ambivalent
Sunday is a mysterious and manipulative figure who orchestrates the entire plot, leaving… How this plays out →
The Secretary
psychological · ambivalent
Gogol
psychological · ambivalent
Gogol
psychological · ambivalent
Dr. Bull
psychological · ambivalent
The Secretary
psychological · ambivalent
Professor de Worms
psychological · ambivalent

Gabriel Syme
Sunday is a mysterious and manipulative figure who orchestrates the entire plot, leaving Syme in a state of awe, fear, and obsession.
The Secretary
Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally.
Gogol
Gogol is both awed and terrified by Sunday, who represents an incomprehensible and overwhelming authority.
Dr. Bull
Dr. Bull is perplexed and fascinated by Sunday, whose mysterious nature challenges his scientific rationality.
Professor de Worms
De Worms is deeply unsettled by Sunday, who seems to know everything and controls the detectives' fate.
Gabriel Syme
Sunday is a mysterious and manipulative figure who orchestrates the entire plot, leaving Syme in a state of awe, fear, and obsession.
The Secretary
Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally.
Gogol
Gogol is both awed and terrified by Sunday, who represents an incomprehensible and overwhelming authority.
Gogol
Gogol is both awed and terrified by Sunday, who represents an incomprehensible and overwhelming authority.
Dr. Bull
Dr. Bull is perplexed and fascinated by Sunday, whose mysterious nature challenges his scientific rationality.
The Secretary
Sunday is the enigmatic leader who exerts a powerful, almost hypnotic influence over the Secretary, who serves him loyally.
Professor de Worms
De Worms is deeply unsettled by Sunday, who seems to know everything and controls the detectives' fate.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Sunday in The Secret of Gabriel Syme

In the story

Sunday appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Secret of Gabriel Syme
Mentioned as the President of the Central Anarchist Council who advised Gregory to dress as an anarchist.
The Man Who Was Thursday
Referenced as the mysterious President who sometimes sends irregular ambassadors; Syme uses his name to gain credibility.
IV: The Tale of a Detective
The unseen chief of the detective corps, who interviews Syme in a pitch-dark room and appoints him.
The Feast of Fear
President Sunday presides over the breakfast with a large, terrifying face and a deep voice. He chaffs Gogol for his inability to act the part of a gentleman, revealing his policy of daring public concealment.
VI: The Exposure
President Sunday dominates the breakfast with his massive presence and constant, unnerving gaze at Syme, suggesting he may know Syme is a spy.
VII: The Unaccountable Conduct of Professor de Worms
Sunday dismisses the council with a cryptic remark about being overheard, leaving Syme unsettled, and later leaves abruptly for a Humanitarian meeting.
XI: The Criminals Chase the Police
Referenced as the unseen mastermind whose discipline controls the pursuing mob from afar; his power is described as godlike and terrifying.
The Pursuit of the President
The enigmatic President who taunts the detectives, leaps from the balcony, and leads a chaotic chase.
XV: The Accuser
Sunday presides over the masquerade in pure white, speaks of the long war and sacrifice, and reveals himself as 'the Sabbath' and 'the peace of God.' His face grows enormous as Syme questions him.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Sunday unlock in the free preview.

See Sunday in The Secret of Gabriel Syme